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I created this wikisite as an online portfolio for my work and presentations.

About Me


My name is Jim Barry and I am a Health and Physical Education Teacher at Hatfield Elementary School in PA, where I have been teaching for 10 years. Hatfield Elementary School is part of the North Penn School District, located in the Suburbs of Philadelphia. (Hatfield's Location).

I am a 1994 graduate of Father Judge High School in Philadelphia. My first year of college was at Lock Haven University, where I was undeclared. I transferred to East Stroudsburg University in the fall of 1995 and was an undeclared major. While at ESU, I was part of the student senate and in my final year I was the Student Body Vice President. In the summer of 1999, I interned for the Special Olympics of Pennsylvania. While with the Special Olympics I worked with the Sports Training Director to create a coaches training guide for my internship project. After my internship was complete I received my Bachelor of Science in Recreation and Leisure Services.

After graduation at ESU I started working for the Ambler Area YMCA. I first started as a part time employee where I was an assistant for the before and after school program. While there, I starting teaching preschool sport classes and helping with the YMCA youth leagues. At the end of the school year, I worked summer camps at the YMCA. When September 2000 came around, I was offered a position as Site Director at Lower Gwynedd Elementary School and a Kindergarten Assistant at Jarrettown Elementary School. Things remained that way for the year but I wanted more, in the spring of 2001, I decided to go back to school for Physical Education. After some research about programs I decided to go to Temple University for Health and Physical Education. In September 2001, I started at TU and still worked as a site director for the YMCA.

In September 2001, I was called by my supervisor at the Y and asked if I would like to interview for the Teen and Family Director position at the YMCA. I was very much interested in this position, it allowed me more flexibility for going to to school while giving me more responsibilities at the Y. While I was the Teen and Family Director at the YMCA, I was in charge of many different areas of the YMCA. One of responsibilities was membership relations, this included Teen and tween nights, family nights, special events like Pancakes with Santa and the Easter Egg Hunt. Another part of my responsibilities were teen programming such as Teen Leaders Club, The Minority (Black) Achievers, Teen Fitness, Teen Sports, and the Young Leaders Club. The third aspect of my position was to be the camp director for the Teen Camp and the Counselor in Training program. The teen camp program was a fun and educational summer camp, each day we would have fun activities that would allow us to go on outings to explore nature, career choices, and team building activities. In my second year as Teen Director, I started a middle school after school program at the YMCA, students were picked up at school and would participate in activities such as homework assistance, fitness classes in the workout center, swimming in the pools, sports in the gym, cooking, and crafts.

When January of 2004 came about I began student teaching in the Philadelphia School district at Loshe Elementary School, located in the Northeast section of the city. My experience there was great. Loshe was a multicultural school with a high ESL/ELL population. My learning experiences with those students helped to provide me with a background working with students who had very little experience using the English Language. In March of 2004, I said goodbye to the friends I made at Losche and went to Bucks County Technical High School in Bucks County, PA. Bucks County Technical High School is as the name says a Vo-tech school for Lower Bucks County. Students here received Health and Physical Education on a rotating basis. The curriculum at the tech school helped me form my philosophy of lifetime fitness activities. Activities there included, rock climbing, mountain biking, outdoor survival, fitness, and individual and team sports. In May of 2004, I finished my student teaching assignments and completed my teacher certification from Temple University. That summer I ran teen camp and started looking for a Physical Education position. In August 2004, I applied for a position in the North Penn School District at Hatfield Elementary School where I have been ever since. I stayed with the YMCA for until the end of October to help transition the new Teen and Family director then left the YMCA marking the end to that chapter in my life.

I graduated from East Stroudsburg University in 1999 with a Bachelors of Science Degree in Recreation Management focusing in on Recreational Therapy. After graduation I worked at the Ambler Area YMCA running before and afterschool programs, summer camps and Teen and Family Programs. While there I decided to get my teachers certification at Temple University in Physical Education. While at Temple I did several practicum teachings in many different Philadelphia Schools. In 2004, I finished my certification program and was hired in the North Penn School District. In 2011 I earned my Masters of Arts in Education, from Gratz College and I am currently working on my Masters of Science in Adapted Physical Education at West Chester University.

Personal

I live in Ambler, PA with my 4 year old dog Chase. I enjoying taking Chase on long walks. In my free time my interests vary from being active outside, including hiking, biking, camping, and sports. When I have the time I like to get away to my parents lake house in the Poconos where I ski in the winter, and swim, mountain bike, hike, and fish in the summer.

1994 - I earned the Eagle Scout award from Troop 341 in Philadelphia, PA.
2013 - Pennsylvania State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance Professional Honor Award

Resume

Education:


West Chester University - May 2013

Masters of Science, Adapted Physical Education

Gratz College – December 2011
Masters of Arts, Education

Temple University - May 2004
Pennsylvania State Teachers Certification - Health and Physical Education, Instructional 1 Grades K-12

East Stroudsburg University -August 1999

Bachelor of Science,Recreation and Leisure Services Management


Experience:

North Penn School District - August 2004 to Present
Hatfield Elementary School - Health and Physical Education Teacher.
  • Develop, Plan, and Implement the Health and Physical Education Curriculum
  • Coordinate and Plan Olympic Days
  • Oversee School Safety program
  • Coach/Referee Hatfield Hawk’s Soccer and Basketball Teams
  • Safe and Orderly Correlate Chair
  • Member of the Building Core Team
  • American Red Cross CPR Instructor
  • School Crisis Team Member

Ambler Area YMCA
Teen and Family Program Director - September 2001 to October 2004
  • Coordinate and Implement Teen and Family Programs at the YMCA
    • Programs include Teen Leaders Club, YMCA Achievers Program, YMCA Adventure Guides, Teen Nights, Family Nights, Generation Y Middle School Afterschool Program, and Teen Camp
  • Manage three Departments with a total of 10 staff
  • Prepare budgets and secure grant funding for these departments

Camp Director - June 2000 to August 2004 (summers)
  • Planned games and activities for the 10 to 12 year old group

Site DirectorNovember 1999 to June 2001
  • Planned activities and managed 5 staff and 50 kids in a before and after school program at Lower Gwynedd Elementary School.


Skytop Lodge - Activities Staff- October 1997- April 1998
  • Coordinated and conducted recreational activities.
  • Operated and maintained the sports shop which rented skis, ice skates, and mountain bikes.

Locust Lake Village - Head Lifeguard- Summer 1997
  • Oversaw and managed 20 lifeguards.
  • Responsibilities included record keeping, scheduling, and programming.
  • Lifeguarding duties and beach maintenance

Volunteer Experience

American Red Cross
  • First Aid and CPR Instructor - 2001 – Present
  • Water Safety Instructor – 2004 - 2006

Southeastern District - Pennsylvania State Association Health Physical Education Recreation and Dance
  • Executive Board Member – 2004 - Present
  • Secretary – 2005 – Present

Pennsylvania State Association Health Physical Education Recreation and Dance
  • Member 2001 - Present
  • Executive Board Member 2008 to Present
    • Local Association’s Liaison 2008 - Present

Certifications
American Heart Association – CPR/AED - 10-25-2011 to 10/2013
American Red Cross
American Red Cross First Aid/CPR/AED Instructor